Slow progress on Pinconning's future water

Still in talks with Standish, Bay County

PINCONNING TWP. — The Pinconning Township is still weighing its options and gathering information before making a decision on whether to begin getting its municipal water from Standish or to continue getting it from Bay County, which is looking at forming a water authority with Saginaw and Midland counties.

“We’re still working on it,” Pinconning Township Supervisor Sharon Stalsberg said. “We’re waiting for more information from Saginaw-Midland, and we want to get more information about a transmission line.”

The possibility of getting water from Standish arose in October, when the Pinconning Township board decided to look into potential alternatives to getting water from the tri-county authority that would be more cost-effective. Fraser Township and the city of Pinconning were both interested in Standish water, though Fraser has signed on with Bay County.

Pinconning City Manager Richard Byrne explained that Bay County is facing deadline pressure to get all of its communities either on board or set with another water provider, so a final decision by the city needs to be made soon.

“We will be under the gun to make a decision in the next three weeks,” Byrne said.

He said the major sticking point on moving forward with Standish from his perspective is that Bay County has a contract with Standish about the current water line boundaries, and it would need to be amended before either Pinconning or Pinconning Township could connect a line to Standish’s system.

Stalsberg said the township received $50,000 from the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe to extend its own line to Worth Road, which it will do regardless of whether or not it connects to the Standish system.

She added she is still hoping to get more information about water rates from Standish’s system before the board there makes a decision on whether or not to pursue a connection with the city or to continue with Bay County.

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